The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-12-03
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

The home consumption of cotton in
this country reached 2,077, 5S7 bales of
400 pounds during the past year. gain
of over six per cent.
"A new source of error In marine
chronometers has been discovered in
Germany. This is the great dampness
OF sea air. 1t causes variations Ike
those produced by changes of tempera-
ture.-M. Y. Ledger.
There is no historical fact in the
world better established than that Amer
lea was discovered by Icelanders in the
year A. d. 1901, writes Prof. Majuans-
sun, of Cambridge University in En-
gland, and he adds that there is not q
learned body in Europe that ever
breathes doubt about it.
Mr. Claus Spreckels, the great
sugar-refiner, is reported to be contem-
plating the experiment OF growing beet
root sugar in this country in one of the
central Western States. 1t is claimed
that the climate is similar to that in
Germany and Austria, where beet-root
cultivation is most important in
dustry.-Public Opinion.
"A scientific journal, in an attempt
to prove that mankind could not exert
mechanical force enough of their own
to produce the amount of heat needed
to raise the crops necessary daily to
feed themselves, states that "the me-
chanical equivalent of the vertical sun
shine received upon square mile of
the earth's surface is computed to be
1928, 900, 900 pounds raised foot high
in second. boston Budget.
In behalf Of the Australian colony
of Victoria, Sir Graham Berry has re-
quested the British government TO con-
tribute twenty-five thousand dollars to-
ward the expenses of an expedition for
the further exploration of the regions
about the South Pole. No advance in
Antartic discovery has been made since
1912, when Sir James Ross reached the
highest southern latitude ever attained,
seventy-eight degrees, nine minutes
and thirty seconds Y. Ledger.
M. Faye, the well-known French
astronomer, has drawn attention at p
recent meeting of the French Academy
of Sciences to the apparent geological
law that the cooling of the terrestrial
crust goes on more rapidly under the
sea than with land surface. Hence
he argues that the crust must thicken
under oceans at more rapid rate, and
so give rise to swelling up and dis
tortion of the thinner portions of the
crust-in other words, to the formation
of mountain chains.-Engtneering.
Prof. A. H. Sayce, in his address
before the British Associatiation for the
Advancement of Science, said that the
Highland costume, now distinctively
associated with Scotland, was once also
worn in Ireland and Wales. The scien-
tifc bearing of this fact, when stated by
itself, may not be apparent, but the
speaker insisted that study of the his
tory of dress would throw light on
many problems relating to the origin
of particular races of men in various
parts of the world.-M Y. Ledger.
"A striking fact deduced from OBJ
servations recorded by the late DR..
Parrott is the rapid growth of the
brain in the first half year of life as
compared with the increase in height
and the growth of other organs. Taking
the total growth between birth and six
years of age as 100, the weight of the
heart increases LAB in girls and 11.S8
in boys during their first six months of
life; the height increase 20.8 in girls
and IA in boys; while the weight in
creases 27.41 in girls and 1851 in boys.
-Arbamsaw Traveller.
From 5000 to 10000 gallons of
blood day are used in making but
tons in large factory in Bridgeport,
near Chicago. About 100 men and
boys are employed in the factory. The
blood must be fresh beef blood. A Mr..
Hmsch was the first to introduce the
business, some years ago, and is now
immensely wealthy. Much of the blood
evaporates in the process of drying,
but the pure albumen remains. Blood
sheets are used by cloth manufacturers
for setting" the color in calico goods.
These sheets, broken up, will make
buttons, earrings. breastpins, belt
clasps, combs and even door knobs.
There are number of "blood" util-
izing factories in England, and blood
door knob factory in Trenton, N. j.